Hypericum plant named ‘Bosacand’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Hypericum plant named ‘Bosacand’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; medium green-colored leaves; shiny light red-colored fruits; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Hypericum androsaemumcultivar Bosacand.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofHypericum plant, botanically known as Hypericum androsaemum,commercially used as cut stems with fruits, and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Bosacand’.

The new Hypericum is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Rijnsburg, The Netherlands. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop cut Hypericum varieties with attractivefruit coloration.

The new cultivar originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in July, 1993 of a proprietary selection of Hypericumandrosaemum identified as code number 93, not patented, as the female,or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Hypericum androsaemumidentified as code number 28, not patented, as the male, or pollen,parent. The cultivar Bosacand was discovered and selected by theInventor in July, 1995 as a flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Rijnsburg, TheNetherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new Hypericum by terminal cuttings taken atRijnsburg, The Netherlands since March, 1996, has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Hypericum are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Bosacand’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Bosacand’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Medium green-colored leaves.

3. Shiny light red-colored fruits.

4. Good postproduction longevity.

Plants of the new Hypericum differ from plants of the parent selectionsprimarily in fruit coloration.

Plants of the new Hypericum can be compared to plants of the Hypericumcultivar Bosapin, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,993. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Rijnsburg, The Netherlands, plantsof the new Hypericum differed from plants of the cultivar Bosapin in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Hypericum had smaller leaves than plants of thecultivar Bosapin.

2. Plants of the new Hypericum had lighter green-colored leaves thanplants of the cultivar Bosapin.

3. Plants of the new Hypericum had smaller fruits than plants of thecultivar Bosapin.

4. Plants of the new Hypericum had lighter red-colored fruits thanplants of the cultivar Bosapin.

Plants of the new Hypericum can also be compared to plants of theHypericum cultivar Bosakin, disclosed in.U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,994. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Rijnsburg, The Netherlands, plantsof the new Hypericum differed from plants of the cultivar Bosakin in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Hypericum were slightly shorter than plants of thecultivar Bosakin.

2. Plants of the new Hypericum had slightly smaller leaves than plantsof the cultivar Bosakin.

3. Plants of the new Hypericum had lighter green-colored leaves thanplants of the cultivar Bosakin.

4. Plants of the new Hypericum had smaller fruits than plants of thecultivar Bosakin.

5. Plants of the new Hypericum had light red-colored fruits whereasplants of the cultivar Bosakin had dark red-colored fruits.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Hypericum, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Hypericum.

The photograph at the top of the first sheet comprises a sideperspective view of typical plants of ‘Bosacand’ with flowers and fruitsgrown in a ground bed.

The photograph at the bottom of the first sheet is a close-up view ofthe upper surface of typical leaves of ‘Bosacand’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view oftypical flowers and fruits of ‘Bosacand’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view oftypical fruits of ‘Bosacand’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Hypericum has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations inenvironment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without,however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Rijnsburg, The Netherlands, in an outdoornursery and under commercial production practices. Plants were about oneyear old. The photographs and description were taken in August, 2002,when outdoor day temperatures ranged from 16 to 31° C. and daytemperatures ranged from 7 to 15° C. In the following description, colorreferences are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart,2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

Botanical classification: Hypericum androsaemum cultivar Bosacand.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Proprietary selection of Hypericum androsaemum identifiedas code number 93, not patented.

Male parent.—Proprietary selection of Hypericum androsaemum identifiedas code number 28, not patented.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 14 days at 20° C. Winter: About 21days at 15° C.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Summer: About two months at 20° C.Winter: About three months at 15° C.

Root description.—Fine; white in color.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching, dense.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Upright and outwardly spreading perennial woody shrub; broadinverted triangle.

Growth habit.—Moderately vigorous. Freely basal branching; dense andbushy growth habit.

Plant height.—About 64 cm.

Plant width (spread).—About 64 cm.

Quantity of stems per year.—About four; production of stems increaseswith age of plants.

Lateral branches.—Length: About 12.6 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Internodelength: About 4.4 cm. Strength: Moderate. Texture: Smooth; glabrous.Color: 144B; with development, overlain with 183B.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple; sessile. Length:About 7.6 cm. Width: About 4.8 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base:Obtuse with cordate tendencies. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lowersurfaces: Glabrous; slightly rugose. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color:Developing leaves, upper surface: 143A. Developing leaves, lowersurface: 137D. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Between 137A and141A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 137D. Venation, upper andlower surfaces: 144D.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Bright yellow single flowers arranged in terminalcompound umbels with about twelve flowers per lateral branch. Flowersnot fragrant. Flowers not persistent. Flowers face upright.

Natural flowering season.—Summer, typically July through early Septemberin The Netherlands; flowering period typically lasts about 60 days.

Postproduction longevity.—Cut stems are typically harvested when allflowers have developed fruits. Postproduction longevity of cut stemswith fruits more than one week.

Inflorescence height.—About 6 cm.

Inflorescence diameter.—About 7.8 cm.

Flower buds.—Height: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Shape: Ovoid,broad. Color: 7B; towards the apex, overlain with 17B.

Flowers.—Diameter: About 2.8 cm. Depth: About 1 cm.

Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five. Length: About 1.4 cm.Width: About 9 mm. Shape: Broadly elliptic. Aspect: Slightly concave.Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lowersurfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing and fully expanded petals,upper surface: 13A; color does not fade with subsequent development.Developing and fully expanded petals, lower surface: 13A to 13B.

Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five. Length: About 1.1 cm.Width: About 8 mm. Shape: Broadly elliptic to broadly ovate. Apex:Obtuse to broadly acute. Base: Broadly cuneate. Margin: Entire. Aspect:Flat. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:Developing sepals, upper surface: 175A. Developing sepals, lowersurface: 146B; venation 175B. Fully developed sepals, upper surface:143A. Fully developed sepals, lower surface: 144A.

Peduncles.—Length: About 3.2 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Orientation:Erect to about 50° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong. Color:143B; overlain on upper surface with 175B.

Pedicels.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Orientation: Erectto about 50° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong. Color: 143B;overlain on upper surface with 175B.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About 85. Anthershape: Broadly oval. Anther length: About 0.8 mm. Anther color: 14B.Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 14B. Pistils: Quantity per flower:Typically three. Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma shape: Globular.Stigma color: Close to 42A. Style length: About 6 mm. Style color: 1C.Ovary color: 1C to 1D.

Fruits.—Quantity per flower: One. Days to ripening: About 20. Longevityon the plant: About 10 days. Type: Capsule. Shape: Ellipsoidal. Length:About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous; shiny.Color: Towards apex, 42B; towards base, 45C.

Seeds.—Quantity per fruit: Typically more than 100. Length: About 0.8mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: N199C.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Hypericum have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Hypericum.

Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Hypericum have been observed totolerate temperatures ranging from −15 to 35° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hypericum plant named ‘Bosacand’, as illustrated and described. 